Bing and Harrington Balkan Archive (BHBA)

The Bing and Harrington Balkan Archives consist of the work of J. Brooke Harrington and Judith Bing who have collaborated in research on the vernacular architecture of the Balkans for more than twenty-five years. Their archives are comprised of an extensive collection of photographs, drawings, and publications on traditional wooden buildings and settlements in Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia, Albania, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey.

The buildings examined include urban and rural houses, farm buildings, shops, and other economic structures, as well as religious sites and structures. Buildings were examined to better understand construction methods and details, formal, and spatial characteristics, and expression of social and cultural traditions. These buildings represent the diverse ethnic groups, cultures, and religions characteristic of the Balkans. As wooden structures are vulnerable, most buildings visited were constructed during the nineteenth century, but the oldest date back to the early eighteenth century.

Bing and Harrington’s fieldwork involved archival studies, observations, and documentation at building sites, and consultation with regional experts. Bing and Harrington have written individually and jointly in peer-reviewed publications on topics related to their studies, and presented papers at numerous academic and international conferences. Exhibitions of their own photographs and drawings have taken place at a variety of institutions. Their long-term goal is widespread access to their research materials, by way of an internet-accessible, digital archive and the Aga Khan Documentation Center at MIT.

Researchers can view archival materials by appointment at MIT Libraries. A finding aid listing the materials in the collection is available on MIT Libraries' ArchiveSpace, and information on making appointments is available on the Department of Distinctive Collections website.